Hen-marking device



Ju 15. 1924. J. CAMPION HEN MARKING DEVICE Filed July 11.

INVENTOR.

fcne V Carr:)

BY fibm TTORNEY Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES JANE CAMPION, or emco, CALlEOBNIA.

HEN-MARKING DEVICE.

Application filed July '11, 1923.

To all whom it may conewt: V

Be it known that I, JA E CAMPION, acitizen of the United States,residing at Chico, county of Butte, State of California, have i nventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Hen-Marking Devices; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisapplication.

This invention relates to improvements in hen marking devices su'ch asare used to mark laying liens, which are those having a propensity forentering a nest, thereby enabling such hens to be readily ,Classified bythe owner from the remainder.

The .principal object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter having a dipper or spoon normally immersed in a marking orolori'ng fluid automatically maintained at a constant depth, whichdipper is' automatically caused to tip up and drop a certain amount ofthe fluidon the back of a hen as she enters the nest, the spoon thenautomatically returning to its normal position to be again immersed inthe fluid.

Another object is to provide means for enabling two or more coloringfluids to be used with the one dipper, by merely adjusting or shiftingthe latter somewhat.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecificaton and claims( In the drawings similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device with the top cut away.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes a frame adapted to be set in theentrance to a nest.

A certain distance from the lower end of the frame is a horizontalplatform 2 on which are relatively shallow trays 3 in which restinverted bottles or similar fluid containers Serial No. 650398.

The trays have adjacently disposed side eX- tensions 5 open on top, eachtray and its'extension containing some of the fluid from its respectivebottle. V. A

The liquid will remain in the bottl'es at a level higher than that inthe tray 'byreason of the air-lock or tendency to vacuumformed in theupper and enclosed end of the bottle, to which air cannot enter andallow the fluid to escape, as long as there is fluid inthfe surroundingtray, which thus is maintained at a constant level. u V

Extending alongside the trays ashortdstance thereabove is a horizontalrod ;formed with vertical arms 7 at its V ends slidable through andguided by the platform 2 and by eyes or slee-ves 8 lower down, thesearms being adjacent the sides of` the frame 1 so as 'not to obstruct theopening therethrough and under the platform 2, this opening being thatthrough which a hen must pass on her way to the nest. e a a i The lowerends of hearms ?support a foot board 9 on which the hen must step,

- this board being held clear of the bottom of the frame l by springs 10suitably located and of course sensitive enough to give, and thus causethe foot board and rod 6 to be 'lowered, with the weight .of a hen on'the board.

'Threaded or otherwise adjustably and turnably mounted on the rod'6 is atroughshaped scoop or dipper 11, open at its outer ends, and restsintermediate its ends on the front edge of one of the tray extensions orcups 5. The supporting edge of the tray is so disposed relative to thenormal level of the rod 6 on which the outer end of the di per ismounted, that the latter will then ave a downward tilt into the fluid inthe adjacent cup 5.

When however a hen steps on the board 9, the rod 6 is lowered to a levelbelow that of the cup-edge, and hence the tilt of the dipper isinstantly reversed. This of course, causes the inner end of the dipperto raise out of the fluid, taking with it a certain amount of saidfluid, which then runs down to the outer end of the dipper and dropsonto the back of a hen passing thereunder. i

Should it be desired to change the color, or should one bottle beemptied, it is but the work of a few seconds to Shift the dipper alongthe rod from one cup to the other,

these cup being so close together that the transverse alinement of thescoop is aitered but s1ight1y From the foregoing description it will bereadily seen that I have produced such a device as substantiallyfulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein While thisspecificaton sets forth in detail the present and preferred constructionof the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may beresorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention,as defined `by the appended '(laims.

Having thus described my invention What Iclaim as new and useful anddesire to se cure by Letters Patent is: i

- 1. A hen marking device including a plurality of independent traysmounted a common distance from the ground, independent fluid containingvessels supported in inverted'po'sitions in' said trays, open cupsformed With the trays and projecting beyond the side edges of theVesse1s,a dipper arranged to be moved into position for partialimmersion 'into one at a time of the cups, and means aotuated by theWeight of a hen for causing the dipper to be moved to deposit a certain'amount of the fluid onto the hen.

2. "A hen marking device including a plurality of liquid-containing cupssupported a common' distance above the ground, a horizontally adjustabledipper arranged to be positioned for partial immersion in any one1,5o1,2oo

at a time of the cups, and means actuated by the Weight of the hen forcausing the dipper to be moved to deposit a certain amount of the fluidonto the hen.

3: A hen marking device including a piu rality of liquid-containing cupssupported a common distance above the grounch a horizontal verticallymovable member in front of the cups, a dipper mounted on said mem berfor adjustment longitudinally thereon and adapted to be positioned forpartial immersion in any one at a time of the oups, and means actuatedby the Weight of a hen for causing the dipper to be moved to deposit acertain amount of the fluid onto the hen.

4. A hen marking device including a plurality of liquid-oontaining cupssupported a common distance above the ground, a horizontal andverticaily mova ble member in front of the cups, and a dipper pivoted atone end on said member and arranged for adjustment longitudinallythereon Whereby it may be immersed in any one at a time of the oups; thedipper resting intermediate its ends on the front edge of the cup, saidedge thus forming the fulcrum of the dipper, means for holding thedipper in either posi'- tion on said horizontal member, and meansactuated by the Weight of a hen for 'causing the dipper to be moved todeposit a certain amount of the fluid onto the hen.

In testimony Whereof I afiix my signature.

JANE CAMPION.

